Customer Reviews

God's Potters: Pastoral Leadership and the Shaping of Congregations (Pulpit & Pew)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Cooperating with some of the best academic sociologists of religion in the country, Jackson Carroll orchestrated a comprehensive survey of Christian clergy in the United States in 2001. In God's Potters, he reports his findings with clarity and wisdom. Carroll wants churches and pastors to thrive so he probes the findings for what church leaders can learn and improve. The book is well-written and the findings supported with impeccable data gathering. Throughout the book, Carroll offers his own suggestions for what clergy and denominations might want to do with the findings but his suggestions are clearly separated from conclusions drawn directly from the data. Moreover, happily, his suggestions are balanced and wise. This is the first book I would suggest people read if they want to understand the realities today of pastoring--both positive and negative.

Throughout the book, we learn about how women clergy differ from male clergy; how Catholic, Mainline Protestant, Conservative Protestant, and Historic Black clergy differ; how urban and rural clergy differ; younger and older clergy differ; etc. with regard to: salary, hours worked, job satisfaction, perceived effectiveness, physical health, seminary training, leadership style and conflict management.

God's Potters should be required reading for all faculty members at theological schools. It would do much to bridge the seminary-church gap.

But most importantly this book should be read in seminary "Pastoral Ethics," "Parish / Congregational Ministry and Leadership," and "Supervised Ministry / Field Education / Practicum" courses. The book will probably be neither inspiring nor discouraging for the person considering ordained ministry but it will be enlightening: "Oh, now I now see what a pastor does and the challenges they face!" For young people who are often broadsided by the "reality" of the church, the orientation that God's Potters provides is a very good thing. They will be able to see the possible pitfalls that they face but also encouraged by Carroll that many clergy--especially those who see the pitfalls--thrive.

There has never been a lack of conventional wisdom about the state of ministerial profession. People tend to say things like, "Being a pastor is difficult, discouraging work, and more complex than ever. Clergy are much less satisfied than ever before." Much of the evidence for such claims is anecdotal. Many in the preaching profession say things like pastors are getting older, or that they work more hours, or that they are less academically prepared than they used to be, or various opinions about the state of female clergy. This book is based on a wide-ranging, specific, and thorough study (Pulpit and Pew). It provides real data about issues many think they understand, though their perspectives are often based more on ideology than fact.

Some things are fascinating and surprising--Clergy are at least as satisfied with their work as most professions. Most clergy are secure in their sense of call. It appears that clergy actually work fewer hours than they did in times past, and they work fewer hours than they think they do. Most people go to churches that are large, and most congregations are small, so church life for most pastors is very different than that of most churchgoers. There's even a table of authors pastors read the most. These revelations go on and on and make for fascinating reading.

Carroll does a terrific job of presenting the data, helping the reader to understand its implications in an accessible way, and providing constructive commentary on how the data suggest church life and the ministerial profession might be shaped differently in light of the study. God's Potters is helpful for any clergyperson, but would be most important for people like denominational officials, ordination boards, and seminaries--anyone who has a role in shaping the future of church leadership and needs a true picture of where it is now.